Apparatus for plying strands



N. E. KLEIN APPARATUS FOR FLYING STRANDS Nov. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 20, 1955 ivi Fl G. 'l'

INVENTOR.

NORMAN E. K LEI N ATTORN EY Nov- 29, 1 60 N. E. KLEIN v 2,961,824

APPARATUS FOR FLYING STRANDS Filed June 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I54 22 I I06 n2 HO. 3 I02 I I04 INVENTOR. N O R MA N E. KLEI N AT TORN EY tes tie 2,961,824 APPARATUS FoR- FLYING STRANDS Filed June 20, 19-55, Ser. No. 516,391 .12 Claims. (Cl. 57-5856) This invention relates to apparatus for ply twisting together a plurality of strands to form a combined strand or cord; and more particularly, to an improved ply action spindle for producing industrial cord wherein one strand is thrown in balloon like fashion about a strand package from which a second strand is drawn to be plied with thefirst.

Industrial cord as used' in the manufacture of automobiletires, power transmission belts and other uses-is preferably composed of at least two continuous filament nylon yarns of about 840 denier. In the manufactureof this yarn, spinning is followed by a draw twistingoperation wherein the yarn is collected in three to three and onehalf pound packages wound with a double taper on a cylindrical pirn approximately 12% inches in length and 2 /2 inches in diameter, the maximum diameter of the package being about inches. 7

There has been little demand for yarn in these packages because they cannot be economically handled by the equipment heretofore available for the production of industrial cord. The majority of cord producers, therefore, prefer delivery of the yarn in beam lots thereby necessitating a beaming operation. Such beaming or any other rewinding operation from the yarn manufacturers pirn into packages suitable in shape and size to be economically handled by the cord producing equip ment, materially adds to the cord manufacturing cost;

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved ply action mechanism that will produce industrial cord direct from the manufacturers supply packages.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved ply action spindle capable of forming industrial cord direct from the yarn manufacturers supply pirns at a higher rate than heretofore accomplished with prior art cord forming spindles.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a ply action spindle for the production of industrial cord wherein the ballooning strand is caused to conform in shape closely to the encompassed supply package of effectively reduce the spindle gauge requirements to a minimum distance in a normal frame arrangement.

It is also an object of the invention to provide improved means for damping oscillating movement of stabilized package support means carried by a rotatable spindle device of the type wherein a strand is caused to balloon about the package support.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of improved strand tensioning means for ply action cord producing spindles that are readily adjustable to establish a predetermined tension level and which reduce to a minimum the abrasion of the strand in passing therethrough.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the invention when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a cord forming machine ice embodying, the present invention with takeup mechanism and driving components shown schematically,

Figure 2 is an, enlarged vertical section view of the ply action. spindle of the invention with the strand flow equalizer shown in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the yarn tensioning array and strand flow equalizer unit of the ply action spindle,

Figure 4 is avertical section view of the unit shown in Figure 3 .taken along the line IV'IV of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is across sectional view through the unit taken. along the line V.-V of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the spindle package. support housing showing the package support damping means, and

Figure 7' is a, sectional view of the damping means shown in Figure 6 taken along the line VIIVII of that figure.

Briefly, the. foregoing objects and advantages are accomplished by the provision of a rotatable spindle capable of high speed rotation and having a deep cup shaped flyer attached adjacent one end thereof. The extreme end of the spindle rotatably carries a post-like support for removably receiving an elongated manufacturers pirn of yarn wound with a double taper. The yarn package support carries a housing sinusoidal in shape conforming generally to the shape of the yarn package for enclosing the same. An axial passage extending from the lower end of the spindle communicates with a sloping passage that terminates on a wraparound yarn storage surface at the lower end of the flyer and thus makes provision for feeding one of the strands to be plied from an external source package to a balloon formed by throwing the strand about the package housing. A yarn flow strand equalizer mechanism carried by the upper end of the housing permits the bringing together of the ballooning external strand and the strand from the internalpackage at the apex of the balloon at which point the two strands are plied together to form cord. Oonventional take-up means are provided to advance the strands through the machine and collect the cord. A balloon confining ring carried adjacent the upper end of the cup shaped flyer assists in maintaining balloon shape control and is so arranged that it does not interfere with the operation of the yarn storage surface in its normal function of tension control.

For a detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the drawings in which a spindle is shown generally at 10 in Figure 1, and in vertical section in Figure 2. The lower portion of the spindle 10 includes a shaft 12 journaled for rotation in low friction bearings 14 and 16 disposed in a flanged bolster 18. Bolster 18 is adapted to be fastened to a rail 20 forming a conventional part of a multi-spindle cord producing frame by bolts 22 or any suitable means. A sprocket wheel 24 secured to the lower end of the shaft 12 coacts with a driving cog belt 26 as shown in Figure 1 which may be driven by any suitable rotating source of power not shown such as an electric motor.

The spindle shaft 12 has rigidly secured thereto immediately adjacent to bolster 18 a conically shaped hub 28 having a conically flared flange 30 to which is secured a deep cup shaped flyer 32, the sides of which have a generally sinusoidal shape. Surrounding the flyer 32 at its upper end and attached thereto at three symmetrically circumferentially disposed positions by stub like bars 34, only one of which is shown in Figure 2, is a balloon confining ring 36 of slightly larger diameter than the flyer at the loci of attachment. The conical hub 28 has a circumferential groove 38 thereabout which serves as a wraparound yarn storage surface for affecting tension control of the yarn strand entering the balloon. An

axial yarn passage 40 extending from the lower end of the shaft 12 upwardly and communicating with an oblique passage 42 which latter passage coacting with a grooved insert member 44 carried by the hub 28 forms an exit opening 45 for yarn onto the yarn storage surface 38.

The overall portion of shaft extending above the conical hub 28 has a number of lengths of successively decreasing diameter and is adapted to rotatively carry a post like yarn package support generally indicated at 46. A portion 48 threaded at its upper end is formed to receive the inner race of a low friction bearing 50. A nut 52 threaded to the upper end of shaft portion 48 holds the inner race of the bearing 50 in pressure engagement against the upper shoulder of a larger shaft portion 54 adjacent the portion 48. The upper end of shaft 12 similarly carries a low friction bearing 56, the inner race of which is held between a clamping lock nut 58 and the shoulder of adjacent shaft portion 60.

More specifically, the post like package support comprises a tubular member 62 having an inwardly projecting annular flange 64 adjacent its lower end, and an internally threaded portion at its extreme lower end into which is threaded an annulus 66. An annular washer 68 of resilient material such as rubber or neoprene is placed on'each side of the outer race of bearing 50 and the annular space between the race and tubular member 62 1S filled with a plurality of rubber or neoprene rings 69 of circular cross section. Thus by screwing the annulus 66 upwardly the outer race of bearing 50 will be resiliently held between the annulus and the flange 64 and tubular support 62 will be symmetrically oriented at its lower end with respect to the axis of spindle shaft 12.

A resilient orientation mount for the upper end of tubular member 62 is also provided in the form of an annular insert member 70 press fit into the member 62 and having an inner resilient ring 72 of rubber or neoprene which frictionally engages the outer race of low friction bearing 56. The post like tubular support 46 is of diameter adapted to slideably receive a yarn manufacturers package 74 of nylon yarn or the like wound with a double taper in sinusoidal form on an elongated cylindrical pirn 76. A provision is made for frictionally holding the pirn 76 in place on the support 46 by means of a spring pressed detent 78 mounted on the inner wall of tubular member 62 operatively projecting through the member into engagement with the inner surface of the pirn.

A housing generally of sinusoidal shape and conforming to the shape of a full yarn package 74 is formed of a lower section 80 and a removable upper section 82. The lower section 80 is preferably of metal and is rigidly secured to the annulus 66, whereas the upper section is preferably of transparent plastic material that is readily moldable but having great strength and rigidity. The upper section 82 of the housing is of slightly larger external diameter than the lower section 80 at the mating end with the lower section and is provided with an annular lip 84 which surrounds the lower section. Suitable hold down latches 86 maintain the cover section 82 in place. Thus, it will be seen that the package support 46 together with the housing for the yarn package are freely rotatable with respect to the spindle shaft 12.

In order to prevent rotation of the package support 46 during rotation of the spindle shaft 12, the shaft 12 is mounted on rail 20 at an angle preferably inclined from the vertical by about 20 as more clearly shown in Figure l, and a weight or mass of metal 88 is secured to one side of the lower housing section 80.

While the mass 88 is generally effective in preventing rotation of the package support 46 and the housing 80, any deviation in bearing friction from normal between the spindle shaft of the support may cause the housing and the support to oscillate about the spindle axis. These oscillations are suppressed by a damping device 87 disposed on the side of housing 80 diametrically opposite the mass 88 as seen in Figure 2. The device 87, as shown more clearly in Figures 6 and 7, comprises an arcuate tube 89 of generally oval cross section and having a curvature conforming to that of the housing to which it is secured in circumferential alignment by means of screws 91 passing through support flanges 93 attached to the ends of the tube. A baffle plate 95 having a slot like notch 97 therein disposed midway between the ends of the tube 89 extends transversely of the tube from the bottom thereof upwardly a distance slightly above its center. A quantity of heavy liquid such as mercury occupies about one-half of the volume of the tube and coacts with the baflie plate 95 to provide the damping action.

It will be apparent that when the housing 80 is at rest about equal quantities of mercury will lie on opposite sides of the baflle 95. Should the housing start to oscillate, the mercury will be shifted alternately at least in part from one side of the baffle to the other, creating turbulence to thereby dissipate the energy exciting the oscillation, and thus allows the mass 88 to stabilize the position of the housing and its associated package support.

The upper end of housing section 82 carries a yarn tensioning and flow equalizing device generally indicated at 90 in Figures 1 and 2 and shown in greater detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5. The device 90 comprises a cylindrical base member 92 having two spaced latterly extending annular flanges 94 and 96 positioned adjacent its lower end. The device may be secured in place by any conventional means such as screws 98, only one of which is shown in Figure 4, passing through suitable openings in the upper section 82 of the housing, and threading into the flange 94. In the annular space 100 between the flanges 94 and 96 are positioned a plurality of pairs of tension pads 102, each pad having a generally rectangular shape and a short guide portion 104 of lesser cross section projecting from one end thereof in a direction at right angles to the plane of the pad. The guide portions 104 are adapted to project into aligned openings 106 extending through the flanges 94 and 96. The left hand ends of each pair of pads 102 as viewed in Figure 4, are held in functional alignment by a pin 108 anchored in the flanges 94 and 96 and passing freely through suitable openings in the pads. An opening 110 through flange 96 in alignment with the central portion of each upper tension pad 102 holds a hooded coil compression spring 112 which bears at its lower end against its respective tension pad and has its hooded end in contact with the underside of a rotatable annular plate 114 having a downwardly extending annular flange 116, the inner surface of which makes threadwise engagement with the periphery of flange 96. Thus, by rotating the plate 114 in the appropriate direction to cause it to approach the flange 96, more tension will be simultaneously applied to all springs 112 and rotation of the plate 114 in the opposite direction will simultaneously lessen the tension of all the springs. A spring arm detent 118 attached at one end to flange 96 and having its free end in engagement with the serrated inner circumference 120 of plate 114 holds the latter plate in adjustment against accidental displacement. An index arm 122 attached to the outer side wall of the cylindrical base member 92 is provided and coacts with suitable graduated indicia disposed about the upper face of tension adjusting plate 114.

A yarn flow trumpet guide 124 is provided in the upper portion of the housing 82 in alignment with the spindle axis. Further yarn guide means are provided in the form of pins 126 bridging the annular space 100 between the flanges 94 and 96 having their respective end portions anchored in these flanges and positioned at about the medial circumference of the flanges as shown more clearly in Figure 5. Starting with a position to the left of a pair of tension pads 102 as viewed in Figure 5, these pins are preferably positioned in alternate sectional spaces between the respective tension pads 102. Adjacent the last pair of tension pads 102 as above viewed, is preferably provided a cylindrical yarn guide 128 of ceramic'or otherhard wear resistant material which may be mounted to the flange 96 by means of a screw 130 passing therethrough.

Disposed in the lower portion of the bore of cylindrical support member 92 is a guide member 132 of cylindrical shape having an irregular shaped cavity 134 communieating with an axially positioned orifice or yarn guide opening 136 disposed at its upper end. A set screw 138 threaded through the side wall of support member 92 engages guide member 132 to hold it in place. Mounted within the cavity 134 at right angles to the vertical axis of cylindrical guide member 132 is a guide roller 140 disposed to rotate freely on a shaft 142, the ends of which are supported within opposed wall sections forming the cavity. As viewed in Figure 5, the axis of roller 140 is positioned at right angles to a line that is tangent to the lower side of cylindrical guide 128' and joining the central opening 136. The roller 140 is also positioned with its outer surface in tangential relation to the axis of the opening 136. The lower wall portion 144 defining the cavity 134 preferably takes the form of a thin palet shaped member which serves as a strand separator as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The upper end of the bore through the cylindrical support member 92 carries a low friction bearing 146 in which is journaled an upstanding sho'rt tubular shaft 148. Shaft 148 has fixedly secured thereto a rotor 150 generally of frustro conical configuration. Mounted in the sloping sides of the rotor 150 on diametrically opposed sides and normal thereto are two stub shafts 152 and 154 on the outer ends of which capstans 156 and 158 are respectively journaled by means of low friction bearings 160 and 162. Preferably forming an integral part of capstans 156 and 158 are the respectively bevel gears 164 and 166 which in turn mesh with a common bevel idler gear 168 journaled by means of a low friction bearing 170 to the upper end of tubular shaft 148. The upper end of tubular shaft 148 carries an umbrella shaped yarn guide 172 having an axial opening 174 therethrough in alignment with the passage through the tubular shaft 148.

The rotor 150 is provided with a latterly extending arm 176, the outer end of which terminates in a pigtail yarn guide 178. The guide 178 is positioned with respect to capstan 156 so that it lies in the balloon path and drives the rotor 150 as a result of the strand passing therethrough and further in synchronism with the whirling strand constituting the balloon.

The manner of threading the spindle and its operation in the production of two ply cord will now be described. With the upper section 82 of the housing removed from the lower section 80, a full manufacturers package 74 of yarn is placed in operative position about support 46. A yarn strand Y is withdrawn from package 74 and with the aid of a threading snake is passed through the trumpet guide 124, cavity 134, guide opening 136 and passage 174. Section 82 of the housing is then replaced on section 80 and latches 86 made fast. A hook such as a reed hook used in weaving is then passed radially inwardly of the space 100 and between the palet like plate guide 144 and the trumpet guide 124 to engage the strand Y and withdraw a substantial 100p thereof. The upper reach of the loop during the withdrawing operation will slide latterly over the end of plate 144 in which position the loop is ready for threading between the tension pads 102. This is accomplished by proceeding in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 5 to place the strand successively between the pads and finally taking up the slack in the loop by drawing the strand at the outlet passage 174 in the umbrella shaped guide 172. In thereafter advancing the strand through guide 172, it is drawn inwardly between the pair of pads 102 until it reaches the confining pins 126. From the cylindrical guide 128 the strand now passes above the palet like plate 144 to the guide roller 140. Thus the palet like plate 144 serves as a separator to prevent the incoming and outgoing reaches of the yarn loop from becoming entangled with each other.

The strand Y withdrawn from the passage 174 is given at least one and one half wraps about capstan 158, a number of turns about yarn feed rolls 186 and 188 and then passed to the takeup roll or bobbin 190. The drive mechanism for feed rolls 186 and 188 and the take'up bobbin 190 are not shown as these are known in the art and can be synchronously driven with respect to the spindle shaft 12 from either common or independent sources of power.

As shown in Figure l, a yarn strand X is withdrawn from an external source such as a manufacturers package 180, passed between a number of adjustable tension discs 182 and then around a guide pulley 184 disposed in alignment with the axial passage 40 of the spindle shaft 12. With the aid of a threading snake the strand is drawn through the passages 40 and 42 and caused to emerge through the opening 45 on the wraparound storage surface 38. From thence it is passed between the balloon confining ring 36 and the flyer 32, through the pigtail guide 178 and given at least one complete wrap about capstan 156. The strand is then held in contact with strand Y while the spindle is placed in operation. The rotating shaft 12 and its flyer hub 28 causes strand X to be rotated about the housing 82 in balloon like fashion, and since the strand passes through pigtail guide 178 afiixed to the rotor 150, the rotor and its capstans 156 and 158 will be rotated causing the strand X to be plied with strand Y and carried therewith to the takeup bobbin 190.

As the spindle continues to rotate, the strands X and Y are plied together at a point intermediate the feed roll 186 and the guide member 172. The loci of the ply point X of the two strands will fall along the axis of the spindle and produce a symmetrical cord in view of the symmetrical arrangement of the capstans 156 and 158, provided the tensions in the respective strands above the capstans are maintained substantially equal. Inasmuch as the capstans 156 and 158 are of the same size and are synchronously coupled to each other through the idler gear 168, linear equality of the yarn flow is obtained. Linear flow equality, however, is aifected by the tension in the strands prior to reaching their respective capstans.

The tension level of strand Y is largely determined by the tension applied by the plurality of tension pads 102. The overall tension supplied by these pads is readily obtainable by adjusting a single member, namely, the index plate 114 as above described. Tension in strand X is determined by the disc tensions 182 coacting with that supplied by the wraparound storage surface 38 on the spindle flyer, the latter acting as a tension regulator to elfect proper balloon shape and tension control in a manner well known in the art. By use of the foregoing tension adjusting means for a given spindle speed and size of yarn, the tensions in the respective strands can be made to approach each other to a degree sufficient to enable the yarn flow equalizer capstans 156 and 158 to produce a balanced cord.

The balloon confining ring 36 causes the strand X on leaving the surface 38 to closely conform to the sides of the cup shaped flyer 32 and also prevents the strand from being displaced a substantial distance laterally from the sides of cover 82 as the strand balloons about the cover. By attaching the ring 36 to the flyer 32 at only three equally spaced points about its circumference, a sufficient freedom for circumferential displacement of the strand X is provided for so as to obtain the requisite change of wraparound of the strand on the surface 38 to obtain necessary balloon tension control.

It is thus seen that the spindle embodying the foregoing features elfects a tremendous economy of space in that a larger number of spindle units can be mounted side by side in a multi-unit frame than was heretofore possible in a frame occupying a given floor space. The higher spindle speed made possible by a substantial reduction in gauge thereby makes possible an increase in cord output per unit floor space of at least 300% over that obtained with prior art machines employed in a multi-stage process.

In actual practice, the spindle speed of 10,000 rpm. has been achieved with a ply action machine using three and one half pound packages and having a gauge of only 9% inches.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is to be understood that the same is for the purpose of illustration and that changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for plying yarns to form cord comprising a rotatable spindle, a yarn package support nonrotatably carried by said spindle and adapted to support an elongated yarn package having a double taper wind, a cup shaped fiyer secured to said spindle and arranged to encompass a substantial portion of said yarn package, a yarn storage device having a yarn receiving surface thereon disposed at the base of said fiyer and rotatable therewith, said spindle having a radial opening adjacent said yarn receiving surface and an axial passageway extending inwardly from one end of the spindle and communicating with said opening, a freely rotatable yarn guide means supported above said elongated yarn package and having at least two coacting rotatable means for tractively engaging two strands, means for advancing a first strand of yarn from an external source through said passageway and radial opening and in tractive engagement with one of said rotatable means, means for advancing a second strand from said elongated yarn package in tractive engagement with the other of said rotatable means, means for rotating said spindle to cause said first strand to balloon about said elongated yarn package and rotate said rotatable yarn guide means, means rotatable with said fiyer for engaging the ballooning strand at a point intermediate the ends of the balloon path for confining the balloon diameter, and means directing the first and second strands from said rotatable yarn guide means to a point of engagement to cause said strands to be plied together in response to rotation of said rotatable guide means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means rotatable with said fiyer comprises a ring attached in circumferential spaced relation to the fiyer to enable the ballooning strand to be advanced through the space between the ring and the fiyer.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the balloon confining ring is secured to the fiyer at spaced circumferential positions to permit predetermined circumferentially displacement of the balloon strand with respect to the fiyer and a resultant wraparound action of .the yarn strand about said yarn storage surface.

4. Apparatus for plying yarns to form cord comprising a first yarn package, a rotatable spindle having an axial passageway terminating in a radial opening through which the yarn from said first package passes, a yarn supply package support nonrotatably carried by said spindle, a second yarn package on said support, a freely rotatable yarn guide means supported above said second yarn package arranged to independently engage a strand of yarn from said first package and a strand of yarn from said second package, means for rotating said spindle to cause the yarn from said first package to balloon about said second package and rotate said rotatable yarn guide means, means directing said two strands of yarn from said rotatable guide means along converging symmetrical paths to a point of engagement to cause said strands to be plied together in response to rotation of said rotatable guide means, a plurality of tension units disposed between said second package and said rotatable guide means and arranged to successively engage the yarn strand drawn from said second package, and means for simultaneously adjusting said tension units to vary the tension level at which the second strand is delivered to said rotatable guide means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 including a housing of sinusoidal shape disposed about said second yarn package and carried by said package support, said housing having an axial opening at one end thereof through which yarn from said second package is drawn, and means supporting said tension units in a circumferential array about said opening on the end of said housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the tension units each comprise a pair of coacting tension pads and the supporting means for said units comprises a pair of axially spaced annular flanges, spring means biasing the coacting tension pads of each pair of pads toward each other, and means movable toward and away from said flanges operatively in engagement with said spring means for simultaneously varying the biasing force on each pair of tension pads.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the means supporting said tension units includes an upstanding cylindrical bearing mount and means including a low friction bearing for mounting said freely rotatable yarn guide means on said bearing mount.

8. In a yarn handling device, a rotatable spindle, said spindle having a radial opening in the wall thereof and an axial passageway leading from one end of the spindle into communication with said opening, a floating yarn package support carried by said spindle having a yarn package thereon, yarn guide means positioned on the extended axis of said spindle adjacent the outer end of said package, means for advancing the strand of yarn through said passageway and opening to said guide means where upon rotation of said spindle the strand is thrown in balloon like manner about said package, means for clamping abnormal oscillations of said support with respect to sa'd spindle axis, said damping means comprising an arcuate elongated vessel disposed on the side of said support with its longitudinal axis generally in concentric relation with the axis of the support, a quantity of heavy liquid in said vessel and baffie means disposed transversely of said vessel intermediate its ends to cause turbulence within said liquid in response to the occurrences of abnormal oscillations of the support to thereby damp such oscillations.

9. Apparatus for plying yarns to form cord comprising a rotatable spindle, a yarn package support nonrotatably carried by said spindle and adapted to support an elongated yarn package, a cup-shaped fiyer secured to said spindle and arranged to encompass a substantial portion of said package, said spindle having a transverse opening and an axial passageway extending inwardly from one end of the spindle communicating with said opening, a yarn storage surface formed on said spindle and communicating with said opening, yarn guide means supported beyond said elongated yarn package, means for advancing a first strand of yarn from an external source and for advancing a second strand from said elongated yarn package, means for rotating said spindle to cause said first strand to balloon about said elongated yarn package, and an annular ring rotatable with said fiyer and adapted to engage the ballooning strand at a point intermediate the ends of the balloon path for confining the balloon diameter.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the inner diameter of said ring is of larger diameter than the adjacent corresponding outer diameter of said fiyer, said ring and fiyer forming an arcuate yarn passageway therebetween.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising damping means for damping abnormal oscillations of said support, said damping means comprising an arcuate elongated vessel disposed on the side of said support with its longitudinal axis generally in concentric relation with the axis of the support, a quantity of heavy liquid in said vessel, and bafile means disposed transversely of said vessel intermediate its ends to cause turbulence within the said liquid in response to the occurrences of abnormal oscillations of the support to thereby damp such oscillations.

12. In an apparatus for plying two or more strands together in which one of the strands is fed in in a balloon configuration about the supply package source of a second strand, and including a package support for said supply package, the improvement comprising damping means for damping abnormal oscillations of said support, said damping means comprising an arcuate elongated vessel disposed on the side of said support with its longitudinal axis generally in concentric relation with the axis of the support, a quantity of heavy liquid in said vessel,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 628,875 Wall et al. July 11, 1899 695,876 Wall et a1. Mar. 18, 1902 2,173,762 Morton Sept. 19, 1939 2,379,806 Kent July 3, 1945 2,503,242 Clarkson Apr. 11, 1950 2,625,786 Klein Jan. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 712,840 Great Britain Aug. 4, 1954 740,399 Germany Oct. 20, 1943 1,099,309 France Mar. 16, 1955 

